Vehicle signal



Ammo 3&192? 3,640,496

- E. GONDER VEHICLE SIGNAL Filed April 1922 2 SheetS-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 6.7'1 G mme VEHICLE SIGNAL Filed April 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Ed. 1 2 Gondey A TTORNEY.

" .Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE;

am comma, or zonraorr, MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE SIGNAL.

Application filed April 17, 1922. Serial No. 553,874.

My invention relates to a new and improvement in a vehicle signal and has for its object the provision of a vehicle signal which will be simple in structure, economib cal of manufacture and highly efficient in use.

Another object' of the invention is the provision in a vehicle signal of means for lighting series of indicators upon the application of the brake of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a' vehicle signal of means for indicating the directionof turn of the vehicle and of displaying said indicators manually.

1 Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. I The invention will bebetter understood from a reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which Fig. 1 isa front elevational view of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the invention, Y I Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the interior of x h "casing used in the invention, Fig. 4 is'a central vertical sectional View {of the invention, 7 v r Fig. 5 is adiagrammatic view of the W11- ing used in the invention, and

' 6 is an elevational view of a modi- F1 fied form of circuit breaker used in them-- vent-ion.

' The invention is adapted for use with vehicles ,ofdifferent kinds and is especially usefulin connection with automobiles. In the invention. there is provided a plurality of signals whereby anyone approaching the vehicle from the rear or followlng it may i be warned as to what the driver is intend- 4 speed, thus providing means for eliminating accidents. r. tion proceeds the invention'comprise's prlncipally foursignalswhich are visible from the rear of the. vehicle, only OIIG'Of these 9 lightsbeing lit whilethe vehicle is in motion normally and-only one of these signals being displayed whilethe vehicleisat rest normally.

When thebrake is applied a Ifed signal whichisnormally displayed is dimme or useful a series of lights or displaying a "ing to do relative to turning or changinghis' Aswill'be seen as the'descrip rendered invisible and a green, signal is rendered visible for a short time. application of the brake continues the green signal is rendered invisible and the red signal is again made visible. When it is desired to turn the vehicle in either direction a signal indicating the direction of turn of the vehicle is displayed.

Another feature of the invention lies in the fact that the red signal which is normally lighted and which is rendered invisible for a short'time upon the applica tion of the brake of the vehicle is also uti lized for the customary tail light.

The invention, in its preferred form comprises a casing or shell 9 having a front Wall 10. Positioned within the casing is a As the spacing shell having a partition wall 11 con nected with which is another partition'wall 12 and 13 and a wall 14 which serve to establish different compartments. in thecasing. Positioned in these compartments are 1 electric light bulbs 19, 20, 21 and 22, one be ing in each compartment, three of the bulbs being suitably mounted on the rear wall of the lining element and the other being suitably mounted in a depending manner on the partition 14. The front wall of the casing is provided with a slot 15 in Which is positioned a lens. On the lens is presented the word Left, the arrangement being such that when the bulb 13 is lit the word Left will stand out prominently and be visible from the rear of the vehicle, it being intended that the operator shall light the bulb 13 when he is about to make a left turn and thus give notice of his intention of making such a turn.

Provided in the Wall 10 of the casing is a slot 16 which is also provided with a lens and which bears the word Right, the

.driver utilizing this indicator the same as the indicator bearing the word Left. Provided in the casing wall 10 is an opening 17 in" which is positioned a lens which is preferably red. Provided in the wall 10 vided with a clear lens, this opening serving 'to afiord a parking light, the bulb 22 being ,retain the members in spaced relation. A

yoke is mounted on the casing and is provided with a standard 26 which may be secured to" the vehicle at any convenient place, such as on the rear mud guard or on the rear of the vehicle. If it is desired to fasten the device on the rear of the ve hicle the parking light or opening may be dispensed with. It will be noted that the casing is provided on its under surface with an opening 53 which is closed with any suitable transparent closure, thus allowing the bulb 22 to serve as a parking light, a tail light, a stop signal and a license light.

The method of operating the device is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. A switch box 27 is provided, to be mounted in any suitable place on the vehicle. Mounted in this box v.are spring contact members 28 and 29, 32

and 33, and 35 and 36. The contact mem- 28 is connected by means of the wire 30 with the battery 31 which is suitably grounded by means of the wire 31. The contact member 29 is connected by means of the wire 30' to the bulb 22. The contact member 32 is connected by means of the wire 34 to the battery and the contact member 33' is connected by means of the wire 34' to the bulb 20.- The contact member 35 is connected by means of the wire 37 to the battery and a wire 37 serves to connect the contact member 36 to the bulb 22. A rod 38 is slidably positioned in the box 27 and signed to engage the contact members 35 and 36, 32 and 33 and 28 and 29 so as to close the circuit between thesemembers in succession asthe member 39 is slid in'the box. The rod 38 is attached to a spiral spring 40 which in turn is attached to a rod 41 which is secured to the brake pedal 42.

The operation of thedevice is as follows: When the brake pedal is in normal position, as shown in full in Fig. 5, the member 39 is closing the circuit to the bulb 22 which is the red light, each of the bulbs being suit-. ablygrounded. When the brake is slightly apphed so as to lessen the speed of the I vehicle the member 39 moves to the position indicated by 39, the brake pedal moving tothe position shown by 42'. This opens the circuit to the bulb 22 and closes the circuit to the bulb 20, causing the red hght to disappear and the green light to V appear. As the brake pedal is moved to the positlon shown by 42" the member 39 moves to the position shown by 39 thus opening the clrcuit leading to thev light 20 and again closing the circuit leadin to the light 22, thereby causing the red light to disappear,

a green light to appear for a short time and the red light to reappear when the brake is applied to the vehicle for stopping the same. When the brake is applied merely to slow up the vehicle the red light disappearing and the green light appearing causes a warning to be flashed to vehicles approach-, ing from or following in the rear. be noted that the bulb 22 is lit when the brake pedal. is in its normal position and when the brake is tightly applied.

A wire 44 connects the bulb 1'9 with the battery and wire 43 connects bulb 21 to the battery. The wire 43 is connected by means of wire 46 to a suitable switch 47 positioned on the steering wheel, one side of said switch being suitably grounded. The wire 44 is connected by means of the wire 49 to another switch 48 also positioned on the steerin wheel or some convenient place and also being suitably rounded. By operating the proper switch t e driver may illuminate the proper direction signal or indicator.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a means for mounting the switches which control the direction lights on the steering post. A band 50 is provided which is clamped or otherwise suitably mounted on the steering post and insulated therefrom. This band is provided with contact members 51 and 52 whichwith the members 51 or 52. carrles a contact member 39 which is de- 7 It is thus seen thatI have provided'a vehicle signal having means for warning those in the rear of the vehicle what action the driver is taking or about to take and for serving as aparking light, a tail light and a license plate light.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred forms of construction I do not wish to limit myself to the precise forms of construction shown but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what aim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle signal a casing comprising substantially elliptical side walls, having a rear wall formed integral therewith, said rear wall being provided with an opening It will walls adapted for overlaipping the same, said front wall being provi of openings formed therein; a vertically ex tendlng partition mounted in said casing; a pan of oppositely disposed curved partitions d with a plurality mounted in said casing, projecting outwardly from the lower end of said vertically extendin partition, and paralleling the side walls or a portion of their'lengt-h and terminating in conjunction therewith; a horizontal partition mounted in said casing connecting said curved partitions intermediate their length; and a rear wall mounted in said casing adapted for closing the compartments formed therein from the rear wall, excepting the lowermost compartment, said lowermost compartment being in communication with the opening formed in said rear wall and an opening formed in the front wall.

2. The vehicle signal casing comprising curved side walls, having a rear wall formed integral thereof; a front wall mounted on said side walls adapted for overlapping the same, said front wall being provided witha plurality of openings formed therein; a

plurality of partitions mounted in said casing and arranged to form a yoke, the tree of said yoke engaging the inner surface of said side walls at its end and projecting in- Lwardly therefrom, and the arms of said yoke engaging the inner surface of said side wall at their ends; a horizontally disposed partition positioned between and connecting said arms intermediate their ends for providing a plurality of compartments; and a vertically extending wall separating all of said compartments except the compartment determined by the free ends of said arms from the rear wall, said rear wall having an opening formed therein in registration with said compartment.

In testlmony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification at'Detroit. in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan.

EARL GONDER. 

